diff --git a/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_ok.c b/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_ok.c
index b95bc75d64..5c208bfff6 100644
--- a/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_ok.c
+++ b/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_ok.c
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@
 #include "../../tasks/tasks_internal.h"
 #include "../../input/input_remapping.h"
 #include "../../paths.h"
+#include "../../playlist.h"
 #include "../../retroarch.h"
 #include "../../verbosity.h"
 #include "../../lakka.h"
@@ -1018,21 +1019,14 @@ end:
  **/
 static bool menu_content_playlist_load(playlist_t *playlist, size_t idx)
 {
-   const char *path     = NULL;
+   char path[PATH_MAX_LENGTH];
    const struct playlist_entry *entry = NULL;
-#ifdef HAVE_COCOATOUCH
-   char expanded_path[PATH_MAX_LENGTH];
-#endif
 
    playlist_get_index(playlist, idx, &entry);
 
-   path = entry->path;
-
-#ifdef HAVE_COCOATOUCH
-   expanded_path[0] = '\0';
-   fill_pathname_expand_special(expanded_path, entry->path, sizeof(expanded_path));
-   path = expanded_path;
-#endif
+   path[0] = '\0';
+   strlcpy(path, entry->path, sizeof(path));
+   playlist_resolve_path(PLAYLIST_LOAD, path, sizeof(path));
 
    if (!string_is_empty(path))
    {
@@ -1789,6 +1783,7 @@ static int action_ok_file_load(const char *path,
 static int action_ok_playlist_entry_collection(const char *path,
       const char *label, unsigned type, size_t idx, size_t entry_idx)
 {
+   char new_path[PATH_MAX_LENGTH];
    char new_core_path[PATH_MAX_LENGTH];
    size_t selection_ptr                = 0;
    bool playlist_initialized           = false;
@@ -1798,22 +1793,13 @@ static int action_ok_playlist_entry_collection(const char *path,
    const struct playlist_entry *entry  = NULL;
    unsigned i                          = 0;
 
-#ifdef HAVE_COCOATOUCH
-   char expanded_path[PATH_MAX_LENGTH];
-   char expanded_core_path[PATH_MAX_LENGTH] = {0};
-#endif
-
    if (!menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_DRIVER_DATA_GET, &menu))
       return menu_cbs_exit();
 
+   new_path[0]                         = '\0';
    new_core_path[0]                    = '\0';
    tmp_playlist                        = playlist_get_cached();
 
-#ifdef HAVE_COCOATOUCH
-   expanded_path[0]                    = '\0';
-   expanded_core_path[0]               = '\0';
-#endif
-
    if (!tmp_playlist)
    {
       tmp_playlist = playlist_init(
@@ -1870,6 +1856,7 @@ static int action_ok_playlist_entry_collection(const char *path,
       if (!string_is_empty(default_core_path))
       {
          strlcpy(new_core_path, default_core_path, sizeof(new_core_path));
+         playlist_resolve_path(PLAYLIST_LOAD, new_core_path, sizeof(new_core_path));
          found_associated_core = true;
       }
 
@@ -1908,10 +1895,7 @@ static int action_ok_playlist_entry_collection(const char *path,
    else
    {
       strlcpy(new_core_path, entry->core_path, sizeof(new_core_path));
-#ifdef HAVE_COCOATOUCH
-      fill_pathname_expand_special(expanded_core_path, new_core_path, sizeof(expanded_core_path));
-      strlcpy(new_core_path, expanded_core_path, sizeof(new_core_path));
-#endif
+       playlist_resolve_path(PLAYLIST_LOAD, new_core_path, sizeof(new_core_path));
    }
 
    if (!playlist || !menu_content_playlist_load(playlist, selection_ptr))
@@ -1927,14 +1911,10 @@ static int action_ok_playlist_entry_collection(const char *path,
 
    playlist_get_index(playlist, selection_ptr, &entry);
 
-#ifdef HAVE_COCOATOUCH
-   fill_pathname_expand_special(expanded_path, entry->path, sizeof(expanded_path));
-    return default_action_ok_load_content_from_playlist_from_menu(
-            new_core_path, expanded_path, entry->label);
-#else
-    return default_action_ok_load_content_from_playlist_from_menu(
-            new_core_path, entry->path, entry->label);
-#endif
+   strlcpy(new_path, entry->path, sizeof(new_path));
+   playlist_resolve_path(PLAYLIST_LOAD, new_path, sizeof(new_path));
+   return default_action_ok_load_content_from_playlist_from_menu(
+            new_core_path, new_path, entry->label);
 }
 
 static int action_ok_playlist_entry(const char *path,
@@ -2919,6 +2899,13 @@ static int action_ok_core_deferred_set(const char *new_core_path,
    entry.core_path = (char*)new_core_path;
    entry.core_name = core_display_name;
 
+#ifdef HAVE_COCOATOUCH
+    // for iOS, change abbreviate the bundle path with ":" because bundle path changes on each install
+    char abbreviated_core_path[PATH_MAX_LENGTH] = {0};
+    fill_pathname_abbreviate_special(abbreviated_core_path, new_core_path, sizeof(abbreviated_core_path));
+    entry.core_path = abbreviated_core_path;
+#endif
+
    command_playlist_update_write(
          NULL,
          menu->scratchpad.unsigned_var,
diff --git a/playlist.c b/playlist.c
index 166c6591d4..8a98e53826 100644
--- a/playlist.c
+++ b/playlist.c
@@ -624,6 +624,53 @@ success:
    return true;
 }
 
+/**
+ * playlist_resolve_path:
+ * @mode      : PLAYLIST_LOAD or PLAYLIST_SAVE
+ * @path        : The path to be modified
+ *
+ * Resolves the path of an item, such as the content path or path to the core, to a format
+ * appropriate for saving or loading depending on the @mode parameter
+ *
+ * Can be platform specific. File paths for saving can be abbreviated to avoid saving absolute
+ * paths, as the base directory (home or application dir) may change after each subsequent
+ * install (iOS)
+**/
+void playlist_resolve_path(enum playlist_file_mode mode, char *path, size_t size)
+{
+    char tmp[PATH_MAX_LENGTH];
+    tmp[0] = '\0';
+#ifdef HAVE_COCOATOUCH
+    char resolved_path[PATH_MAX_LENGTH] = {0};
+    strlcpy(tmp, path, sizeof(tmp));
+    if ( mode == PLAYLIST_LOAD )
+    {
+        strlcpy(resolved_path, tmp, sizeof(resolved_path));
+        fill_pathname_expand_special(tmp, resolved_path, sizeof(tmp));
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        // iOS needs to call realpath here since the call above fails due to possibly
+        // buffer related issues
+        realpath(tmp, resolved_path);
+        fill_pathname_abbreviate_special(tmp, resolved_path, sizeof(tmp));
+    }
+    strlcpy(path, tmp, size);
+    return;
+#else
+    if ( mode == PLAYLIST_LOAD)
+    {
+        return;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        strlcpy(tmp, path, sizeof(tmp));
+        path_resolve_realpath(tmp, sizeof(tmp));
+        strlcpy(path, tmp, size);
+    }
+#endif
+}
+
 /**
  * playlist_push:
  * @playlist        	   : Playlist handle.
@@ -639,19 +686,9 @@ bool playlist_push(playlist_t *playlist,
    const char *core_name = entry->core_name;
    bool entry_updated    = false;
 
-#ifdef HAVE_COCOATOUCH
-    char abbreviated_path[PATH_MAX_LENGTH];
-    char abbreviated_core_path[PATH_MAX_LENGTH];
-#endif
-
    real_path[0] = '\0';
    real_core_path[0] = '\0';
 
-#ifdef HAVE_COCOATOUCH
-   abbreviated_path[0] = '\0';
-   abbreviated_core_path[0] = '\0';
-#endif
-
    if (!playlist || !entry)
       return false;
 
@@ -665,29 +702,19 @@ bool playlist_push(playlist_t *playlist,
    if (!string_is_empty(entry->path))
    {
       strlcpy(real_path, entry->path, sizeof(real_path));
-      path_resolve_realpath(real_path, sizeof(real_path));
-#ifdef HAVE_COCOATOUCH
-      strlcpy(abbreviated_path, real_path, sizeof(abbreviated_path));
-      fill_pathname_abbreviate_special(abbreviated_path, real_path, sizeof(abbreviated_path));
-      strlcpy(real_path, abbreviated_path, sizeof(real_path));
-#endif
+      playlist_resolve_path(PLAYLIST_SAVE, real_path, sizeof(real_path));
    }
 
    /* Get 'real' core path */
    strlcpy(real_core_path, entry->core_path, sizeof(real_core_path));
    if (!string_is_equal(real_core_path, file_path_str(FILE_PATH_DETECT)))
-      path_resolve_realpath(real_core_path, sizeof(real_core_path));
+       playlist_resolve_path(PLAYLIST_SAVE, real_core_path, sizeof(real_core_path));
 
    if (string_is_empty(real_core_path))
    {
       RARCH_ERR("cannot push NULL or empty core path into the playlist.\n");
       return false;
    }
-#ifdef HAVE_COCOATOUCH
-   strlcpy(abbreviated_core_path, real_core_path, sizeof(abbreviated_core_path));
-   fill_pathname_abbreviate_special(abbreviated_core_path, real_core_path, sizeof(abbreviated_core_path));
-   strlcpy(real_core_path, abbreviated_core_path, sizeof(real_core_path));
-#endif
 
    if (string_is_empty(core_name))
    {
@@ -2330,7 +2357,7 @@ void playlist_set_default_core_path(playlist_t *playlist, const char *core_path)
    /* Get 'real' core path */
    strlcpy(real_core_path, core_path, sizeof(real_core_path));
    if (!string_is_equal(real_core_path, file_path_str(FILE_PATH_DETECT)))
-      path_resolve_realpath(real_core_path, sizeof(real_core_path));
+       playlist_resolve_path(PLAYLIST_SAVE, real_core_path, sizeof(real_core_path));
 
    if (string_is_empty(real_core_path))
       return;
diff --git a/playlist.h b/playlist.h
index 7a82fd999b..ce29f849cb 100644
--- a/playlist.h
+++ b/playlist.h
@@ -35,6 +35,12 @@ enum playlist_runtime_status
    PLAYLIST_RUNTIME_VALID
 };
 
+enum playlist_file_mode
+{
+    PLAYLIST_LOAD,
+    PLAYLIST_SAVE
+};
+
 struct playlist_entry
 {
    char *path;
@@ -118,6 +124,21 @@ void playlist_get_index(playlist_t *playlist,
 void playlist_delete_index(playlist_t *playlist,
       size_t idx);
 
+/**
+ * playlist_resolve_path:
+ * @mode      : PLAYLIST_LOAD or PLAYLIST_SAVE
+ * @path        : The path to be modified
+ *
+ * Resolves the path of an item, such as the content path or path to the core, to a format
+ * appropriate for saving or loading depending on the @mode parameter
+ *
+ * Can be platform specific. File paths for saving can be abbreviated to avoid saving absolute
+ * paths, as the base directory (home or application dir) may change after each subsequent
+ * install (iOS)
+ **/
+void playlist_resolve_path(enum playlist_file_mode mode,
+      char *path, size_t size);
+
 /**
  * playlist_push:
  * @playlist        	   : Playlist handle.